Korean Job Discussion Forums

[earthbound14]

I've been here for about 4 years now and while I've found many things tough to adjust to, I've never had a problem with kids stopping to say hi or point out that I'm a waeguk.

I've been followed, even chased, by children screaming "Hi, Hi, hello!!!", yelling "Waeguk" or even "Pucking USA." I've been called American more times than I can count (I'm not American...not that there is something wrong with being a Yank, I'm just not one). I've even been poked in the head, dong chimmed in public all while parents look on in amusement as their child pokes and prods the waeguk. Parents send their kids over to practice English while I'm eating and drinking with my mates...it's non stop. I once hid in a restaurant while a group of 20 children that had been following me chanted waeguk outside (an important lesson, do not share your ramyeon with little village kids who have never seen a pale face in person before).

I'm a waeguk, I get it.

Normally I'm a pretty mellow guy in public, I say nothing bad about Korea and only vent among friends or here about things I have a tough time dealing with. Actually I think it's fun when kids talk to me and I let it slide when it becomes a little racist. That's life. things are far worse in other countries. Try reading a book in Nepal...you'll have 5 people trying to read your book over your shoulder and a gaggle of kids can turn into a very scary mob trying to take anything they can off you in a blink of an eye.

Lately I've had a hard time holding my tongue. A kid started yelling "Mommy look a waeguk" I yelled back "Yes, I'm a waeguk, Thank you so kindly for pointing that out!" Koreans everywhere stopped to look at the waeguk yelling back at a kid and his parents.

Then I told a young high school girl to "f-off". Her friend said "Hi" so I said "Hi" and went about my business. She then pipes up "Hi", I ignore her, I've got my own stuff to do and I'm walking away. Next thing I know she's yelling at me in Korean telling me I have to reply to her. I turned and told her off and kept walking. I walked past them later on and they all looked away from me.

It's like Chinese water torture and I seem to have reached my limit.

Time for meditation lessons or something.

[Kurtz]

Is your avatar from the movie Fight Club? sounds like you should start one in Korea to take your (and many other peoples') frustrations out on. Find a soju/hof and pass the word around, but remember rule number 1, never talk about Fight Club.

I asked a Korean friend about this waegook thing and how we don't like it and she was very surprised about it. It's not meant in any harm, and as I'm sure you are aware, Koreans aren't exactly tactful when it comes to stating the facts, kids even less so.

To help you I offer this advice

1) wear a raincoat and start flashing people if they start talking to you or calling you names
2)start speaking another language like you don't understand eg., Was? Sprechen Sie Deutch oder? (OK my German isn't very good)
3) never leave home without your ipod.

Can't say I've tried number 1 yet but 2 and 3 are tried and tested.

[Robot_Teacher]

It's time to go when you're telling high school girls to F off. Maybe you're burned out on this gig and this homogeneous country. This country does stare and point out all the foreigners as they don't receive tourists like other countries do so their not used to seeing foreigners. It's nothing for us to see a Korean, becuase we grew up around many Asian people and used to seeing them, but it's totally opposite for them so they stare, chuckle, and specifically point out the fact they're seeing a foreigner. It's usually not racism in a negative sense, it's fascination and curiosity with the different and what appears to be exotic kinda like what is for us to see tigers and zebras.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

It's really hard to tell their intentions. I can see it when I see my students interact with waegooks. I've seen both generally polite and rude kids do some of the things you describe above.

It's best to save your frustrations for when and if you hear the F- or ㅆ-word. Then march right over like you're about to kick the crap out of whoever said it. I once made a HS boy flee as fast as he could run despite being surrounded by seven of his mates and on another occasion made four HS boys take off on their motorbikes. It's really mindboggling what cowards the rudest kids can suddenly become when you call them on it.

[hugekebab]

All the 'Hi!' and giggles and everything described in the first post is insidious xenophobia in a seemingly positive, friendly form.

We are simply not treated by lots of people here as a real part of society. Effectively we are not recognised as being completely human. We are objects of attention.

Not a single Korean would dare to say a random 'Hi!' to another Korean in the street. Why? Because they recognise that other Korean as a real human being and an actual member of their society.

When children do it, it's cute and understandable. When adults do it, it's a somewhat pathetic indictment of their shaded, sheltered existence.

[hugekebab]

[hugekebab]

[Kurtz]

I wonder if it's the same people who complain about all the attention they get in Korea, are the same ones who return to Korea as they didn't get any attention when they went back home?

[grunden]

depressing thread, 4 years here?????
and you are yelling at kids??

kids are kids. I used to teach a baby class, never once did I yell at a kid. I walked out on my boss, but I did not yell at any kid. You need some help, I can see you getting up set in an office and then coming back with some kind of weapon, get HELP, they are KIDS.

[Robot_Teacher]

[waynehead]

The best advice has already been given: never leave home without your ipod. If you do, just pretend like you're wearing it anyway, and ignore anything you hear.

[grunden]

[McGenghis]

The weirdest one I got was when a little girl (probably around 6 or 7 years old) stopped in the middle of the street, pointed at me (a blue-eyed son of Scotland), and screamed "HANGUK SARAM IDA!".

[anjinsan]

woops

[Ilsanman]

Really? I have been told to *beep* off by teenagers. Is it not fair for me to do the same?